My firmest belief is that stories are immensely powerful. Each story is a microcosm of the human condition and allows for people all around the globe to discover something about themselves and the world in which they live. Stories, whether they be in the form of song lyrics, prose, or poetry, are a universal way in which we as people can communicate and explore reality. We seek who we are through the experiences of others and become an amalgamation of our lived events and the media we’ve consumed. I believe that you have to start as a reader to become a writer. It is my dream to spend my life writing, whether that be music, literature, journalistic works, or even screenplays, because of the impact that other writers have had on me. I want to leave a legacy through my writing. As a lesbian woman, the power of words and stories has been very apparent to me throughout my young life. Growing up with the feeling that something about me was very different in comparison to the other girls my age led me to seek shelter and community in fiction. I spent, and still continue to spend, an inordinate amount of time watching television shows and reading novels, searching for characters I identify with. I’ve been bullied intensely for being open about my sexuality. I think part of what causes this type of bullying is the sparsity of lesbian representation in popular media, and an even sparser amount of positive representation. It’s hard for people like me to seem normal to everyone when they never see us on TV. Eventually, it occurred to me that the best way to find a story that represents who I am is to write it myself. I want to write works that will help fellow lesbians feel more represented and comfortable with who they are. As well as being able to represent my community, I also just want to create as much as I can physically create throughout my lifetime. As I previously stated, I would be content writing music, prose, nonfiction, television, and film. I simply love to write. If I had no scientific knowledge, I think I might genuinely believe that if I decided to stop writing, the sheer surplus of ideas swimming around in my mind could make my skull explode. I’ve always been a very creative person. Notebooks scattered around my room are filled to the brim with poems and songs. My Google Drive is almost nothing but articles for my school newspaper, prose pieces, and more lyrics. I can’t wait to experience college and grow as a person and a writer.